Charles III knights badge

[Markus]

Royal and Distinguished Spanish Order of Carlos III (Spanish: Real yDistinguida Orden Española de Carlos III) was established by the

King of Spain Carlos III by means of the Royal Decree of 19 September 1771, with the motto Virtuti etmérito. Its objective is to reward people for their actions in benefit to Spain and the Crown. Since its creation, it has been the most distinguished civil award that can be granted in Spain, despite its categorisation as a military order. It was formally converted to a civil order in 1847.

The Order was later regulated in an

Royal Decree of 2002 (in which was set the objective of "rewarding the citizens who, with their effort, initiative and work, have brought a distinguished and extraordinary service to the Nation") and by an Order of 8 May 2000.

Today the Grand Master of the order is King

Juan Carlos I of Spain.

I am not sure as to the dating of this badge but was told by the dealer that it was an early 19th century piece. I Could not find any maker hallmarks on the medal and was told it was made from gold. Beautiful order medal that I have wanted to acquire for a while. There seems to be many different makers and versions of this medal. This Madonna is one of the best of all the types I have seen in my opinion. Any other information that the experts could add would be appreciated!

Markus

Edited May 2, 2011 by Markus

[Markus]

Close-up.

[Markus]

Back of badge.

[drclaw]

Gorgeous! That Madonna is exquisite. The Spanish and Portuguese orders would have to rank among the very best in terms of their craftsmanship.

I followed the link from your earlier post of the Order of Isabella to the jeweler who is still crafting the Spanish orders.

Fantastic that these arts are still alive and flourishing.

Gavin